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Gourmand Glam!

THE PARTY Bill and Michelle Lerach, passionate gourmands who blend philanthropy and activism with their love of fine food and drink, opened their cliffside La Jolla mansion for the annual Berry Good Night, with bushels of summer-sweet berries from local farms as the culinary focal point. THE SCENE For the fourth year of their invite-only gourmet soiree, the Lerachs restyled the format. Following drinks in the sculpture-filled courtyard (Lerach has a museum-quality collection of African art), guests wandered the extensive gardens overlooking Black’s Beach, stopping for creative nibbles and cocktails at chef/artisan/farmer pop-ups nestled along the paths. As the sun set over the Pacific, guests sat down to an elaborate eight-course feast from S.D.’s top toques paired with drinks from local wineries, mixologists and brewers. THE HIGHLIGHTS Chef Andrew Spurgin and Jack Ford of Taj Farms hosted The Goat Bar (complete with a bottle-fed baby goat!), offering housemade goat’s milk ricotta on salted black crackers with a maple and blueberry gelee. Slow-braised lamb from Baja chef Ryan Steyn and Logan Mitchell (Cellar Door) had a puckery counterpoint in ginger-pickled strawberries, and mesquite-fired quail from Chad White and Valle de Guadalupe chef Diego Hernandez was balanced by a smoked blackberry gastrique. Photography by Arielle Vey